TRENDS Global has concluded its participation as guest of honour in the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities annual conference, according to a report by the Emirates News Agency published on October 25, 2026. The gathering occurred in Bonn, Germany, between October 20 and 24 under the theme of polycentric and participatory knowledge production. During a panel discussion on Arab German Research Cooperation, senior researcher Ali Abdullah Al Ali from TRENDS Research and Advisory set out three central areas for expanded ties. The WAM dispatch noted that his contributions formed part of broader exchanges on cross-border scientific collaboration.
Joint work on global challenges such as artificial intelligence and rapidly shifting geopolitical developments represented the first area highlighted by Al Ali, the report indicated. A second priority involved bridging academic research with real-world applications to assist decision makers. The third focused on developing long-term partnerships through shared research, academic programmes and knowledge-based initiatives, according to details provided in the agency article.
Al Ali stressed the importance of translating ideas into tangible outcomes for the benefit of academic and research institutions, as conveyed by WAM. He expressed hope that by 2040 Arab-German research cooperation would become more robust and interconnected. The researcher added that jointly generated knowledge from these efforts should be applied to improve people’s lives across both regions.
The academy, which began its work in 2013 after preparatory efforts by scholars from Germany and the Arab world, limits active membership to 60 early-career researchers to promote close cooperation, according to AGYA’s membership guidelines. These members, equally split between German and Arab institutions and selected three to ten years after earning their doctorates, hold five-year terms before transitioning to an alumni network that sustains ongoing collaboration. TRENDS Global engaged in the 2026 conference via its virtual office in Germany, extending the UAE think tank’s role in international academic forums.
TRENDS Research and Advisory, which oversees TRENDS Global, was established in Abu Dhabi in 2014 and has since built an international network of offices to support data-driven analysis on strategic matters, a review of the organisation’s operational summaries shows. Participation in events such as the AGYA annual conference enables the centre to share insights on emerging issues while engaging with peer researchers from multiple countries. The just-concluded meeting in Bonn reinforced themes of participatory knowledge creation that incorporate diverse regional viewpoints.
Al Ali’s panel comments, as reported by the Emirates News Agency, aligned with the academy’s emphasis on research that yields practical societal benefits. The conference concluded following discussions among members and guests on strengthening scientific bonds amid technological and geopolitical changes. TRENDS Global’s involvement adds to a pattern of engagements that connect think tanks with academies focused on Arab-German scientific exchange.